Review – Ultimate Comics X-Men – Issues 1-5

Ultimate Comics X-Men

September 2011 – Present

Number of Issues Currently: 5

Back in Early 2001 when the Ultimate imprint was still in it’s infant stages Marvel launched this new take on the classic X-Men. Over 8 years and 100 issues the series ran for numerous writers and artists got a chance to develop a new team of X-Men, with character’s we already knew like Cyclops, Jean Gray, and Wolverine. But unlike the standard Marvel Universe this characters had no back story yet. They hadn’t been around since 1963, they were a fresh start. Mark Millar penned the first 30 or so issues and set a pace and direction for this new story to follow.

Ultimate X-Men ended up being the second longest running of the original Ultimate books coming it at 100 issues total, but after the effects of Ultimatum the series was canceled, but that’s not the end of our mutant heroes. With many of the more well known, X-Men dead and gone it was left to Jeph Loeb to come up with what would happen next. That ended up being Ultimate Comics X.

X only ran for 5 issues, even though it was intended to be published bi-monthly trading off with Loebs other Ultimate Comics series, New Ultimates. Unfortunately the series was plagued by delay after delay. With nearly a year gap between issues 3 and issues 4. X became a sort of prologue, for the new series Ultimate Comics X-Men.

Nick Spencer and Paco Medina are currently helming the new take on our old favorites. Mutants are on the run, and those who are caught are being thrown in what is essential an interment camp, much like the US used during WWII. Mutants, along with the rest of the world are coming to grips with their true origins, and our once heroic group of X-Men barely exist. The story focuses on Kitty Pryde(Shroud), Bobby Drake(Iceman), and Johnny Storm(Human Torch) as they cope with the lose of their friend Peter Parker, along with being hated by the world – Well except Johnny who’s still looked at as a Hero from the World Famous Fantastic Four.

As our three heroes search for a place to live away from the negativity we learn of problems in the white house being addressed by Nick Fury and the President who are quickly interrupted by Quicksilver, who comes offering his help. During these events we also learn of a mutant hate group lead by a familiar face, William Stryker. Who even after his attack on the Xavier school back during the Ultimate X-Men/Post Ultimatum days harbors an intense hatred and does everything in his power to find, torture, and kill mutants.

5 issues into this new series and things are looking promising. Medina artwork is fantastic and captures the characters we’ve become so familiar, but with his own style. While Spencer has been writing in a way to bring everyone up to speed as well as set the stage for what will hopefully be a very exciting and lasting series. We’ve been told to expect to see the likes of Rogue, Storm, Colossus, Jean Gray, and others joining the ranks of these new X-Men. Only time will tell in what capacity and it should be a fun ride getting there.

Check back soon for more indepth reviews/synopsis of Ultimate Comics X-Men along with more Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Comics X information!

Chris talks a bunch on PodQuest each week. He's also been known to write about stuff from time to time. You can Email Chris or follow Chris on Twitter @Just_Cobb or Facebook

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